Ep. 011 – Harappa and the Erythraean Sea

In today's episode we shift our focus east and look at the earliest identifiable civilization on the Indian subcontinent. The Harappan people were known to have had contacts with Egypt and Mesopotamia thanks to Harappan artifacts that have been discovered in those places. Sadly, there is very little evidence of maritime activity on the part of the Harappans, even though we know they were active to some extent.

We'll also look at the characteristics of the Erythraean Sea (Arabian Sea) and see how the monsoons helped connect the civilizations of the near east in antiquity. Other items include the so-called 'dockyard' at Lothal and a few boat depictions from the ancient Harappans.

The Harappan trade routes showing how their wealth of resources was traded along rivers and eventually into the Arabian Sea and beyond.

The locations of the major maritime sites of the Harappan Civilization.

The Mohenjo Daro seal depiction of a Harappan boat, most likely a reed boat but possibly a planked boat.

The well-depicted boat from the terra cotta amulet found at Mohenjo Daro.

An artist’s interpretation of how the dockyard at Lothal would have functioned, if indeed it was a dockyard.

The ‘dockyard’ or the irrigation tank at Lothal as it exists today.

The item from Harappa interpreted as being a toy boat model.

The scale of the toy boat model from Harappa.

The oldest depiction of a Harappan boat as contained on the potsherd found at Mohenjo Daro.

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